The Golden State Warriors have already kicked off trade season by swinging a deal for Dennis Schroder, giving them some much-needed additional playmaking, scoring, and point-of-attack defense, helping compensate for the season-ending injury of De’Anthony Melton. Schroder is already drawing rave reviews from Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr, and he is expected to immediately step into the starting lineup following his arrival from the Brooklyn Nets.
But amid the Warriors’ fall down the NBA standings, there could still be a trade or two for Golden State to pull off. They have been struggling to achieve a sense of two-way balance as of late, and at this point, it’s not looking like they have enough to challenge the inner circle of contending teams for the right to be called the champion of the association.
The Warriors definitely have a few avenues left to improve the roster further, although as is the case with any blockbuster trade, they will have to part ways with a valued member of the team. The likes of Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Brandin Podziemski could be on the move, although the Dubs have shown in recent years that they aren’t exactly in the market for league-altering trades, but rather, deals on the margins that don’t require them to mortgage their future.
It will all depend on the trade market whether or not the Warriors could snag another upgrade for cheap, similar to what they did in their trade for Schroder. But they should at least try to acquire this player to give Curry the best chance at one last championship hurrah.
Warriors go all in on Jimmy Butler trade
Jimmy Butler stands out as the best player available on the trade market, and the Miami Heat have already reportedly made him available in a potential deal — with Butler and his camp reportedly welcoming a potential trade to the Warriors. This could mean that acquiring Butler won’t just be a one-year rental, as it is likely that the veteran forward re-signs with one of his preferred destinations (he has a player option for the 2025-26 season that he’s likely to decline).
Butler, however, is making $48.8 million this season, complicating any negotiations between the Warriors and the Heat. Golden State will have to let go of its precious depth to bring the veteran star in, which will be hard for Steve Kerr to do amid his preference to play a 12-man rotation.
Any Butler trade will have to start with Andrew Wiggins, no ifs or buts. Draymond Green could be the main salary-matching piece, but the Warriors will not want to lose Green, considering he’s the team’s defensive anchor and heart and soul. Wiggins is a valuable 3-and-D player who has bounced back from a terrible past two seasons, but acquiring talent requires giving up talent in return.
Butler is not the floor-spacer Wiggins is, but he’s just about better than him at every other facet of the game. The Heat star can play bully ball on the interior, handle the rock and create for both himself and others, while he could also assume a huge defensive role especially when he’s no longer the focal point of his team’s offense.
In Butler’s most recent game, he also showed that he can still rack up stats with the best of them; he put up his best game of the season yet, tallying 35 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists despite the loss. His grit and ability to just get things done — whatever the team needs out of him, he can fill — will up the Warriors’ championship equity considerably, as they won’t need to rely too much on hitting their jumpshots to win ballgames.
Giving up Brandin Podziemski will be another sore spot for the Warriors; Dennis Schroder’s arrival, however, should push Podziemski down the pecking order for the team anyway. Podziemski is in the middle of a brutal sophomore slump, and the Warriors may be selling low on him by including him in this trade, but Butler is a proven playoff riser who will give the Warriors a much-needed star on the wing.
Losing Gary Payton II will sting, as he is a winning player. The same goes for Kyle Anderson. But the Warriors will have no other recourse but to add them in a potential Butler trade due to their salaries. But at the very least, this potential trade will have the unintended consequence of trimming down the Warriors’ roster fat, which will then prevent Kerr from running a larger rotation than necessary.
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